Animal feed composition



.Ufli i S a es ANIMAL FEED CGMPGSH'HQN 12 Claims. (Cl. 99-4) This invention relates to an improved composition of matter and more particularly to improved animal feed compositions.

In prudent poultry management it has become more generally the practice to feed poultry on rations made with solvent extracted soy bean oil meal much of which is of necessity stored for prolonged periods and to incorporate in the poultry feeds various medicinal con-- pounds and antibiotics for the purpose of stimulating growth or decreasing the incidence of certain common poultry diseases such as coccidiosis and blackhead. It has now been observed, however, that certain of the poultry which have been raised under actual commercial conditions on the present day feed mixtures, including those containing feed additives, such as the sulfa drugs, certain antibiotics, and the arsonic acids, which are intended to increase the rate of growth or decrease the incidence of diseases such as coccidiosis, blackhead, and the like, exhibit a subnormal prothrombin blood level which has a very detrimental efiect on the health of the poultry and which greatly reduces their thriftiness and which cannot be completely corrected by feeding poultry the N. R. C. recommended amounts of menadione.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved animal feed composition containing as an essential ingredient thereof a stable compound capable of counteracting the tendency of poultry raised on present day feed rations to have subnormal prothrombin blood levels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an animal feed containing an additive which is capable of raising the prothrombin blood level when dispersed throughout the feed composition and which retains substantially its original prothrombin activity on exposure to air and sunlight.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and claims to follow.

It has been discovered that the unthriftiness of poultry resulting from subuormal prot-hrombin blood levels can be overcome by providing the usual commercial poultry feed compositions with a small amount of a solid, stabilized, water soluble addition product of 2-rnethyl-l,4- naphthoquinone with a water soluble bisulfite salt which is formed in the presence of an excess of the bisulfite salt. Poultry feed compositions have dispersed throughout one ton of poultry feed approximately one gram (.00011% by weight) of the 2-methyl-l,4-naphthoquinone bisulfite addition product formed in the presence of a molal excess of bisulfite salt is capable of preventing the observed subnormal prothrombin blood levels in poultry which is associated with the use in animal feeds of solvent extracted soy bean oil meal and feed additive compositions, such as sulfa drugs as coccidiostats and certain antibiotics and arsenic acids as growth promoters. Feed additive compositions of the foregoing type appear to disturb the normal flora in the digestive tract of the poultry and accentuate subnormal prothrombin blood mm o levels in the birds which may be the result of abnormal or deficient dietary conditions associated with present day rations. Amounts of the stable Z-methyl-lA-naphtho quinone bisulfite addition product in excess of the foregoing specified amount and including amounts of about 001% by weight can be used without serious or detrimental efiects on poultry, but the use of amounts in excess of about 001% by weight of the stable addition product are uneconomical and do not contribute a pro portionate increase in the degree of protection afforded. The absolute minimal concentrations of the stable bisulfite compounds which can be used for poultry have not been accurately established but appear to be not substantially lower than .00001% by weight of the stable Z-methyl-l,4-naphthoquinone in the feed composition.

As an illustration of a typical poultry feed composition of the present invention, but without in any way limiting the invention to the particular ingredients or proportions specified, the following specific example is set forth:

The foregoing ingredients are thoroughly mixed in the conventional manner and placed in the usual containers without employing special equipment or means for protecting the feed additive.

The foregoing feed composition containing a stable bisulfite addition product retains its ability to prevent subnormal prothrombin blood levels for several months and can be fed to the poultry in the usual manner without observing special handling techniques.

The stable Z-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone bisulfite addition product used in the above feed composition is conveniently prepared by grinding two mols of sodium bisulfite into a fine powder capable of passing through a standard 30 mesh screen and one mol of 2-methyl-1,4- naphthoquinone is added to the powdered sodium bisulfite and the mixture ground until thoroughly mixed. About 16 mols of distilled Water are added to the mixture and mixing is continued until a thick paste is formed. This normally requires about one-half hour of mixing. The paste is then placed on enamel trays in a thin layer and dried at a moderate temperature. Highly satisfactory results are obtained by drying at a temperature between about and C. either under vacuum or in a current of air. Drying temperatures substantially in excess of C. should be avoided. While not essential, if it is desired to remove discoloring side reaction products, the powdered reaction product can be suspended in about 15 mols of alcohol and the suspension agitated for about 4 hours during which time the side reaction products dissolve in the alcohol. The ethyl alcohol used need not be absolute alcohol and may contain about 5% water. At the end of the agitation period the mixture is filtered and rinsed with ethyl alcohol and dried at a temperature of preferably about 4550 C.

In place of an alkali metal ion in the bisulfite salt other ions which form innocuous water soluble bisulfite salts can be substituted therefor including alkaline earth metals such as calcium; nitrogen groups such as amriidfii'fini and substituted ammonium including the alkylamines and alkancslantines; The 2"-rne'th 1-1,4'-napntnoquinone bisulfite addition products of the above type Whichareformed in: the presence of an excess of bisulfit'e;,,and referably of about a fiiolal excess or a bisulfite salt oi the" above type possess the necessary. sta- Bility and protlifoiiiliiri activity which is re nired'in an animal: feed such as poultry feed; The said addition roduct when eomptried' in a poultry feed com osition provides a' safe; stable; low cost composition having consistently" high vitamin K activit to feeds of otherwise uncertain'adeqnacy. V

' It should-lie understood that the ingredients of the nutritional vehicle of the fcedcornposition of the present inventioncontaining" the" herein disclosed'stable water soluble Z-IiiBthYI-lA-naphthoquizione bi'sulfite addition preductca'n also includ'e'in combination with or in place of the above specified ingredients" other conventional feed ingredients including roundbarle ground wheat, roundfkafir and mild, bone scraps, corn meal, 'corn g'lu'tenfimeal, cane feeding molasses, condensed fish sblubles" containing fish liver and glandular products, fish m'eal', yellow" homin'y feed, and inorganic mineral salts. Also other feed additives can be incorporated in thefeed composition ofthe present invention including D-activated animal vsterol (source of vitamin D-3 vitamin B supplement, procaine penicillin, riboflavin supplement, gcalciunt pantothenate, niacin, choline chloride, 3-nitro-4=hydroxyphenylarsonic acid, phenylarsonic acid, halogenated phenylarsonic acid, p-hydroxy phenylarsonicacid the alkylenediamine salts of halo-phenylarsonic acid, and arsanilic acid.

While the specific embodiment'of the present invention has been particularly concerned with poultry feed compositions, the present invention can also-be embodied as a feed compositionfor other animals such as swine.

Thus, others may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditions of service, employing one or more-ofithe nov'el features-disclosed or equivalents thereof without departing from the scope of the present inven- 7 tion as defined in the appanded claims. As at present advised with respect to the apparent scope of my invention; I desire to claim the following subject matter.

Iclaim: 7 1. An animal feed" composition comprising a solid animal nutritional vehicleadapted for oral ingestion and having' dispersed therethrough a small amount of a solid 'light andair'stablewat'ensoluble bisulfite addition prod uct of 2-methyl-1;4 naplitlioquinoneand a Water-soluble 2 An animal feed composition comprising a solid animal nutritional vehtcie' adapted for d'feil' ingestiofiand having dispersed therethrough at leastabout .00001% by Weight of a solid light and air stable water-soluble bisulfite addition product of Z-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone and a water-soluble bisulfite salt, said bisulfite addition product having an excess of water-soluble bisulfite above 7 a 1:1 molal ratio of Z-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone to bisulfite Without causing toxicity;

3. An animal feed compositionas in claim 2 wlierei'n the water-soluble bis'ulfite salt is an alkali metal bisulfite. V

4. An animal feed composition as in claim 2 wherein the water-soluble bisulfite salt is a sodium bisulfite.

5. An animal feedcomposition as in claim 2 wherein i b1sulfite -salt,sa1d b'isulfite-addition product having an excess o'f- Water-soluble-bisulfite above a 1:1 molal ratio of 2-methyl l,4 naphthoquinone to bisulfite without'causing'toxicity.

8. A poultry feed composition comprising a solid'pou-L try nutritional vehicle adapted for oral ingestion and having dispersed theretlirough at least 0l00U01%'by weight" of a solid Water-soluble hisulfite' addition productof 2 rneth'yl l,4-naphthoquinone and a Water-soluble bistilli tc salt; said bi'sulfit'e addition product having about a 30% excess b'y'vve'iglit of water-soluble bisulfite above the 1": l" mblal ratio of Z-methyI l,4 naphthoquinone to bis'ulfife' without causin toxicity.

9; A poultry feed composition as in claim 8 wherein the Water-soluble bisulfife salt is an alkali metalibisulfit e.

10; A poultry feed composition as in claim s w1ier'eiii the water-soluble bisulfite' salt is a s'odiumbisulfite.

11. A poultry feed composition comprising a poem; feed containing s'ulfaq'uindxaline' as a coccidiostaf and having dispersed therethr'o'ug'li at least about 0.0060 1%; by weight of a'solidwater-soluble b'isulfite additionprod not of 2-'me'thyl-l-A-naphthoquinone and 'a' Water-soluble bisulfite salt, said bisulfiteaddition product having, about a 30% excess by weight'water sbluble bisulfi'te above the 1:1 molal ratio of 2-methyl l,4 naplithoquindne to.bisulfite without causing toxicity. V i i 12." A- poultry feed composition as in claim ll wherein the Water-soluble bisulfite salt is sodium bisulfite.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ANIMAL FEED COMPOSITION COMPRISING A SOLID ANIMAL NUTRITIONAL VEHICLE ADAPTED FOR ORAL INGESTION AND HAVING DISPERSED THERETHROUGH A SMALL AMOUNT OF A SOLID LIGHT AND AIR STABLE WATER-SOLUBLE BISULFITE ADDITION PRODUCT OF 2-METHYL-1,4-NAPHTHOQUINONE AND A WATER-SOLUBLE BISULFITE SALT, SAID BISULFITE ADDITION PRODUCT HAVING AN EXCESS OF WATER-SOLUBLE BISULFITE ABOVE A 1:1 MOLAL RATIO OF 2-METHYL-1,4-NAPTHOQUINONE TO BISULFITE WITHOUT CAUSING TOXICITY. 